Falling in love and on my face: a girl from the prairies now living in the mountains

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Talk about a good time. Woa. Pemby Fest did it again. I had a few friends stay with me, party with me, dance with me and rock out with me. It was amazing. It was also a little too hot for me but we had water and shade and drinks. I think the key is staying at home, with air-conditioning. Showering was key.
I was super lucky and got to see such acts as: Dakota Pearl, Billy Talent, War on Drugs, Bassnectar, Matt and Kim ( SO GOOD), Weezer, Beats Antique, Cut Copy, Janes Addiction, Alice Cooper, Ludacris, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Edward Sharpe, Run the Jewels, Portugal, The Man, The Black Keys, STS9 and MISSY ELLIOT.

We were in and out of VIP, which meant, cheap and free drinks and food. I owe everyone who contributed to the fun a big THANK YOU!

The holiday season is in full swing and that can only mean 1 thing: I’m drinking too much gin. Being a person with multiple jobs and different groups of friends, Shayne and I have been to many parties this season. Here are a few of my favourite highlights/thoughts of this holiday season:

1. Seeing a real life Elf on the Shelf at my friends house. WOW. I partly want children just for this. I also learned that there is a Mensch on a Bench of us Jewish folks playing along. Mixed marriage? Why not have both?

2. Gin and soda is a delicious drink and the lack of sugar only makes the hangover terrible instead of deathly.

Have you ever read the book “The 4 Hour Work Week?” I haven’t and what I’m doing sure isn’t a 4 hour work week but it is a 4 day work week, which I’m pretty stoked about. So, the main reason I had to buy my car was because my hours at work changed. I’m now working Tuesday to Friday from 7:00am until 5:30pm. It’s pretty sweet because my day doesn’t feel that much longer and I’m spending NO time on the bus. I do need to wake up a tad earlier, but that’s okay. So, taking into consideration the time I spent on a bus (30 minutes in the morning and 45 in the afternoon) plus the time I spent at work before my shift, I’m not at work that much longer!

Going from 5 days to 4 days of work, my life has changed. I am only at work 30 minutes earlier and an hour later and I have gained 1 WHOLE EXTRA DAY OFF! 3 day weekends? That has never happened to me and I better enjoy them because I think I will only have them until April.

The cruise into work is spent with CBC Radio 2 and I love their Under the Covers segment! I have 20-30 minutes of awesome radio time and I feel like I learn something new almost every day!

So, the plan is to ski on Mondays but I have yet to buy a ski pass. This past Monday I went to the Scandinave Spa with a friend. Until then I’ll catch up on my reading, go to the gym/yoga and just enjoy life at home. I’ve also discovered my love for using a slow cooker! It’s only been a few weeks but I’ve noticed a big change in my life. 3 day weekends should be mandatory for everyone! How do YOU think I should spend my extra day off when I’m not skiing?

I hate posting my blogs “late” meaning a few days after Wednesday but oh well. So, as you may or may not know I was on a hunt for a vehicle. Yes, I said “was” because I BOUGHT A CAR! I basically had about 2 weeks to find a car before my work schedule changed and I had no idea where to start.

So, I decided to go to the bank and ask for a loan. I should have looked for cars first, but I didn’t. So, I went over my options with the amazing lady at the bank and came up with a magic number. You see, this magic number was great but once I figured out the car I wanted……it wasn’t the magic number. Because I was approved on the spot, I didn’t want to try and ask for more money so I decided to try and work with my budget.

This is what I learned:

· Find the car you want and it’s price range before you ask for a loan.
· Shop around for interest rates (bank vs. dealership).
· Every time you ask for a loan your credit score takes a hit.
· If you get a loan at the bank and approved on the spot, and decide you want more money you need to reapply for the loan. Not only does your credit take a hit but you can be denied and you can lose the first loan that you were approved for.

So, now it came time to figure out what car I wanted. Originally, I was going to buy a Forrester until Tim came along and saved me. Tim Holodryzuk is my car hero and this is why:

· He is a very, very experienced mechanic and knows a lot about cars.
· He offered to help me find a car. All I had to do was tell him what type of car I wanted, my budget and he helped me find cars online.
· I test drove a few cars and decided on a Honda CRV.
· Not only did he find cars, he made phone calls to the owners to ask them questions.
· He test drove 10 cars in 1 day and found the car that I should buy and even negotiated the price for me.

SOLD. I bought a silver 2010 Honda CRV!

Next, I needed winter tires so Tim did the same thing. He searched Craigslist and found me winter tires. I was able to save a lot of money on both my car and tires because of Tim and if I ever need to buy a car again, he will be my go-to person. He is perfect for anyone who doesn’t have time to car shop, doesn’t like to car shop, knows very little about cars and anyone who needs a car. Guess what? He is for hire in the Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton area. If you need a car, this is who you want to call. He will help you find it, examine it’s parts and negotiate a price. Tim rocks and I will be forever greatful!

We tried to go to Birkenhead Lake to camp but it was full. The reservation system is LAME and makes camping annoying. So, we ended up at Whispering Falls. We floated, had a fire, plugged in the camper and had a fan and enjoyed the heat. I accidentally branded myself on a mosquito coil, which was also fun. This is a private campground so we paid $45 a night for water and electricity. It had an awesome dock and the lake was spectacular. I say, cough up the money and check it out!

It happened. My dad finally came to Pemberton. He hasn’t been out to British Columbia for a few years and he’s never made it past Whistler. So, Shayne and I hosted him for a week. Our activities were limited due to him being “disabled” (he calls himself that….sometimes) so we spent most of our time lounging on the couch, sitting in the sun on my patio, listening to music and eating. We went on a few walks (he counts steps and is trying to be healthier) and I hosted a BBQ for him.

My father and I are still building a relationship, after having so many years “apart.” It’s fun to get to know him and learn cool things like once upon a time he could tell the weight of a diamond by holding it or that in the ’80s he spent $1000 2 pairs of leather pants.

I hope he does heal so he can come and visit me many more times. There are a lot of awesome things to do in Pemberton that he couldn’t do due to mobility issues. Anyways, here are some action shots:

Dad claimed that this was his first time in a hot tub and that a hot tub and jacuzzi are different (are they?). I have never laughed so hard….he was funny and kept floating. I hope he knows I wasn’t making fun of him. He was laughing too…..it was funny!

This is him taking a break under a willow tree, on the way for dinner.

There is nothing more freeing (to me) than jumping on my bike and going on an adventure. Unlike most Pemberton people, I stick to the flat trails and roads and all I need is a minimum of 20 minutes to clear my head. My ideal bike ride is about 30-60 minutes, awesome scenery, a pit stop for a Caesar/snack and sunshine. Non-rain works when there is no sun. I love taking pictures of what I see on my rides and mostly it’s to honor the beautiful and amazing place that I live. Pemberton is amazing. #CyclePemby